]]>https://yogurttales.wordpress.com/2013/08/11/manadens-profil/feed/0wangaaDSC_0209Shatilihttps://yogurttales.wordpress.com/2013/08/01/shatili/
https://yogurttales.wordpress.com/2013/08/01/shatili/#respondThu, 01 Aug 2013 09:01:26 +0000http://yogurttales.wordpress.com/?p=495Continue reading →]]>Amazing weekend excursion to Shatili with my best friends here in Georgia. To get there you need a 4×4 – the road was quite decent for most of the journey, although steep below made my passenger behind me a bit tense from time to time. We stopped overnight in Korsha before reaching the 2700 m pass.

Mutso village. Exemplifying the Caucasus, located on top of a steep hill, it must have been nearly impossible for invaders to intrude. Don’t think it was a coincidence they chose this location, as opposed to the riverbed in the valley below..

Shatili is located in a very remote and isolated area, with roads closed off for 9 months of the year. If I remember correctly, the wintertime population is around 30-50 people. Shatili is located in the K

hevshureti region with a population which identifies itself as Khevshurs. There are currently only about 1500-2000 Khevshurs, a large portion of which live in Tbilisi or Kakheti. A local resident showed us his privately build ethnological museum and explained that some were still dressed in medieval-looking body-armours and swords until about 1960 (!). Very intriguing place.

Shatili – inhabited since the7th century. The houses on the pictures were abandoned about one or two generations ago, when the Soviet regime funded modern housing nearby. What an amazing place! Chechnya in the background

]]>https://yogurttales.wordpress.com/2013/08/01/shatili/feed/0wangaaMutsoShatiliTushetihttps://yogurttales.wordpress.com/2013/07/04/tusheti/
https://yogurttales.wordpress.com/2013/07/04/tusheti/#respondThu, 04 Jul 2013 07:35:29 +0000http://yogurttales.wordpress.com/?p=488Continue reading →]]>Last summer I had an amazing solo weekend to the remote Tusheti region in the northeast, bordering to Dagestan (Russia). First up through the 2927m Koja pass and then down winding roads on the other side. These roads open at the end of June and close in September-October, nevertheless, a couple of handful of people live there all year round in deep isolation.

I shouted of exitement as the thick fog cleared before my eyes to disclose this breathaking view

Workers clearing the road treating me to lunch both on the way up and down

The views are absolutely breathtaking. Travelling on my own I made sure to stop and talk to people I passed on the way. Good, honest, beautiful people!

12 hours on horseback to reach his summer residence in Tusheti

Dartlo – In this small village only one man stays the winter together with his cows and chickens (!) One generation ago the population was bigger, and the Soviet regime provided schooling for the ca five kids

To get there you’ll need a 4×4 – in Telavi you can find people to take you. It’s easy to find homestays once you get there.

]]>https://yogurttales.wordpress.com/2013/07/04/tusheti/feed/0wangaaKoja pass, 2927 metersLunch on the roadDSC_0218DartloTabatskurihttps://yogurttales.wordpress.com/2013/07/03/georgia-highlights-tabatskuri/
https://yogurttales.wordpress.com/2013/07/03/georgia-highlights-tabatskuri/#respondWed, 03 Jul 2013 19:09:07 +0000http://yogurttales.wordpress.com/?p=482Continue reading →]]>Soon my time in Georgia is coming to an end. I had never been here before but truely took this beautiful country and its people to my heart. Wow, what a beautiful place! I want to share some of the highlights I have had the privilige to experience.

Heading up on a plateau beyond the Bakuriani skiresort, you’ll eventually reach Tabatskuri – probably the most beautiful location I visited in Georgia. There is no public transportation there, and the main road is blocked throughout most of the winter. My connection there called me in June this year to inform me that the road was open. Some 2900m above sea level, the clouds are hovering just above you in this tranquil picturesque place, populated mainly by ethnic Azeris.

Tabatskuri lake, 2000m above sea level

No rush, time for a chat with the local men. They said they’d be there when I come back. I printed this picture for them, but unfortunately I haven’t been able to deliver it (yet)

This is a jewel. No one I met has talked about this place, the guidebooks hardly mention it.. Leaving Tabatskuri, I travelled some four hours on poor roads without meeting a car, quite an experience

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https://yogurttales.wordpress.com/2013/07/03/georgia-highlights-tabatskuri/feed/0wangaa20120915_163603LjugarbänkenTabatskuri sunsetSupra – the Georgian feasthttps://yogurttales.wordpress.com/2013/06/28/supra-the-georgian-feast/
https://yogurttales.wordpress.com/2013/06/28/supra-the-georgian-feast/#respondFri, 28 Jun 2013 07:10:44 +0000http://yogurttales.wordpress.com/?p=470Continue reading →]]>The Supra – the Georgian feast – is at the heart of Georgian culture. Georgians will find any reason to set up a Supra. For instance, when I found my first appartment here and when I had bought a car, my Georgian friends were quick to let me know that it’s time to celebrate.

As a country with a long tradition of wine-making, wine is clearly at the core of the Supra. Thus, when I invited my friends to celebrate, it was an honour for one of them to bring his homemade wine for all of us to share.

The Tamada is the toastmaster. Unlike in Sweden were the toastmaster coordinates the various speaches, the Tamada holds virtually all of the toasts. First we toast to the God, followed by toast to our parents, to those who live on in our hearts but who no longer walks on earth (the deceased)*, to love, to peace, to sweet memories, to our children, to women etcetera. Tamada will not merely toast to this or that, but rather elaborate on the topic to explain the deeper meaning and relevance of it. After a few rounds, Tamada may request Alaverdi, which means asking someone to further elaborate on the same topic, telling the company what the topic means to him or her. Another important role is the designated wine-filler who makes sure everyone’s glasses are always full..

My friends in Gori were very strict on everyone fully emptying their glass for each toast. Emptying the glass fully is a gesture to show that you full-heartedly atribute whatever we are toasting for. Not emptying the glass would be disgraceful and insulting. While many foreigners seems to think the various toasts are non-sence drinking games, I find that they have a very deep meaning – a great way of regularly paying tribute and gratitude to those who walked before us, and wishing the best to those who will come, and reminicing sweet memories in life and so on. To me it’s a great way to connect with gratitude and not to take things forgranted; a spiritual ritual integrated into everyday life. While I really appreciate the Supra-tradition and took the art of toasting to my heart, the non-compromising drinking rules soon led to me turning down invitations.

Supra in the restaurant always turned into a wild party. All of a sudden the lights would go off and the live music begin and Everyone would enter the dancefloor: men dancing – rather intimately – to the right, and the women to the left. After a few songs, the lights would go on again and everyone returns to the tables and to continue eating and drinking and toasting. After a few hours of feasting people from other tables start inviting you to theirs (and of course, toasting, emptying your beaker..) turning the whole place into one big party with an excellent uplifting atmosphere, I witnessed the testosterone-filled Caucasian confrontational temperament at close distance at two or three occassions.

Georgian cuisine and homemade Saperavi wine in my favourite local restaurant, swallowed down to toasts in true Georgian tradition

Vodka, swallowed down along with traditional Swedish songs

Continuous laughter. Loud laughter.

Sweet memories

Fun and deep conversation

Midnight ice cream in the park

Late night drinks to the tunes of a live band. Even cousin Pelle sang a tune with the band (!)

Need I say more? Far better than last year’s midsummer, which I celebrated on my own in Tbilisi, accompanied only by a bananasplit.

]]>https://yogurttales.wordpress.com/2013/06/25/best-midsummer-ever/feed/3wangaa20130621_20274020130621_213713solo bananasplit midsummerTechnology in frozen conflicthttps://yogurttales.wordpress.com/2013/06/23/technology-in-frozen-conflict/
https://yogurttales.wordpress.com/2013/06/23/technology-in-frozen-conflict/#respondSun, 23 Jun 2013 14:02:37 +0000http://yogurttales.wordpress.com/?p=461Continue reading →]]>In my work I monitor the conflict between Georgia and Russia over the breakaway republic of South Ossetia.

Georgia claim that South Ossetia is occupied by Russia. Russia and South Ossetian de facto authorities claim that South Ossetia is an independent state.

Interestingly, when I approached the boundary line the other day a message popped up in my phone: “Welcome to Russia!”

Obviously the network technicalities aren’t fully aligned with the political retorics. No further comments.

]]>https://yogurttales.wordpress.com/2013/06/23/technology-in-frozen-conflict/feed/0wangaa20130620_132312summer rainhttps://yogurttales.wordpress.com/2013/06/06/summer-rain/
https://yogurttales.wordpress.com/2013/06/06/summer-rain/#respondThu, 06 Jun 2013 19:28:05 +0000http://yogurttales.wordpress.com/?p=459]]>The skies are pouring down on Tbilisi tonight, thunder tirelessly roaring all around, lightening up my dark bedroom. It will be cosy to lay down to bed soon, with my balcony door open tonight.]]>https://yogurttales.wordpress.com/2013/06/06/summer-rain/feed/0wangaaEvening walkhttps://yogurttales.wordpress.com/2013/04/16/evening-walk/
https://yogurttales.wordpress.com/2013/04/16/evening-walk/#respondTue, 16 Apr 2013 17:46:28 +0000http://yogurttales.wordpress.com/?p=453Continue reading →]]>Last night I took an evening walk to Mtatsminda park above the Old town. It was getting dark and I met a bunch of young men, each carrying beers and snacks. They were walking quite quickly on the pedestrian path in the woods as if a hurry. In their rush, they all stopped to do the cross sign as they approached a small christian shrine. So peculiar! Then they continued on to find place to sit and enjoy their drinks, snacks and company.

You’ll see it everywhere, people making the cross signs. I love seeing when the kids are rushing to school stopping to quickly to the cross sign when they see a church.

Lady: Aron, how are you?!
A: Fine thank you, how are you?
Lady: Fine! Where have you been (lately)?
A: Working..
Lady: Do you need water?
A: No, not today, only eggs

Then she murmur to the first custumer in line, loud enough for me to hear; “He’s from Sweden but he speaks Georgian.” She says that to someone everytime I come in there, it’s hilarious. The custumer then looked up at me and asked, “You speak Georgian?”. “A little bit” I’ll answered. Exactly this always happens; soon as the conversation continues I’ll get lost and we’ll all break out in laughter and take it in Russian from there.

Small things like this make my day. Indeed Georgians are warm-hearted and open which make small encounters like this really memorable.